Page 80 - treasure-island

cruise.’
The squire, at this, would turn away and march up and
down the deck, chin in air.
‘A trifle more of that man,’ he would say, ‘and I shall ex-
plode.’
We had some heavy weather, which only proved the qual-
ities of the HISPANIOLA. Every man on board seemed well
content, and they must have been hard to please if they had
been otherwise, for it is my belief there was never a ship’s
company so spoiled since Noah put to sea. Double grog was
going on the least excuse; there was duff on odd days, as, for
instance, if the squire heard it was any man’s birthday, and
always a barrel of apples standing broached in the waist for
anyone to help himself that had a fancy.
‘Never knew good come of it yet,’ the captain said to Dr.
Livesey. ‘Spoil forecastle hands, make devils. That’s my be-
lief.’
But good did come of the apple barrel, as you shall hear,
for if it had not been for that, we should have had no note of
warning and might all have perished by the hand of treach-
ery.
This was how it came about.
We had run up the trades to get the wind of the island
we were after—I am not allowed to be more plain—and now
we were running down for it with a bright lookout day and
night. It was about the last day of our outward voyage by
the largest computation; some time that night, or at latest
before noon of the morrow, we should sight the Treasure
Island. We were heading S.S.W. and had a steady breeze